The application requires connection to Internet data (e.g. 3G, 4G, WiFi, etc.) and normally uses a GPS satellite connection to determine its location. A user can enter a destination into the application, which will plot a path to it. The app displays the user's progress along the route and issues instructions for each turn.

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The application’s beta release was released on October 28, 2009, accompanying the release of Google Android OS 2.0 (Éclair) on the Motorola Milestone (known as the Motorola Droid[2]).[3] Google Maps Navigation Beta was initially released in the United States.[4] The application (version 4.2) was later released in the UK on April 20, 2010 and Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, and Switzerland on June 9, 2010.[5]

Instead of searching for an address or a street name, the application can also search by name, for example guide the user to a nearby restaurant by being given the name of the restaurant. The application can also take phrases such as “a place with burgers” and suggest nearby destinations that match the phrase.[6] The application can receive a voice input instead of typing the destination on the device.

Traffic: The application's traffic congestion map shows the route marks with different colours based on the current traffic along the route. The traffic is measured by data from local road services such as highway cameras, as well as speed and location information from other Android devices that are accessing Google Maps for Mobile.[7]

Satellite: The application displays a route from a bird’s eye view using Google’s satellite imagery.

Street: The Google Street View feature displays a route from first-person view as which automatically changes as the user travels along the route.[8]

Users can dock their Android device in a car using a special car dock for the device (which may or may not come with the device). Once docked, the device will enter this mode, enabling for easier access to the navigation features at an arm’s length.[6]

Once the user has searched for a destination, the map will cache along the intended route. Note that the application requires an Internet connection to search for the route, but once a route has been found, the user no longer requires an Internet connection as the route is temporarily saved onto the device.[6]